Who Is That Masked Cherry Blossom?
by The Create Card
Summary: Life has gotten dull in Reedington and nobody's noticed that more than Kero. So he suggests that Sakura use the Sakura Cards to become the world's greatest masked crime-fighter! How does everyone take it? And what results? COMPLETE!
1. Life Is Boring

Author's Note: Sorry for being away from this section for so long, CCS fans. It's hard to keep up my rigorous schedule, but now that my school year's finally over, I should have more time for writing. And that's always a good thing.

  


Summary: After sealing cards, facing magic, finding love, and hunting crystals, things in Reedington have been quiet. In fact, it's a little TOO quiet. And nobody's noticed that more than little Kero. But what can a little guardian beast do to create some excitement in his Mistress's life?

  


**Who Is That Masked Cherry Blossom?: Prologue**

  


It was just another quiet day in Reedington. Nothing's seemed to describe life in recent Reedington more than the word 'quiet'. Not many people minded. Sakura Avalon welcomed it. She had gone through a lot of excitement in her lifetime, most recently getting taken into another world known as The Dark Ocean.* Li Showron didn't seem to mind, either. He cherished any alone time he had with Sakura without having to worry about strange situations and magic.

Of course, not everybody appreciated how quiet things were getting. Kero was once again sitting up in Sakura's room, bored beyond belief. He had just finished playing Zylon Warriors all the way through for about the millionth time. There was nothing to do. After so many adventures, life had gotten boring.

Kero sighed deeply and took to the air. He slowly flew out of Sakura's room and headed downstairs. Hiding no longer mattered since just about Sakura's entire family was aware of her secret. Kero flew over to the kitchen to look for something to eat. He opened the refrigerator and looked for something to eat. It didn't take him long to find a pudding cup. Without hesitation, Kero grabbed the pudding cup and headed back upstairs.

The house was empty on this day. Sakura was out with Li yet again. Tori was out working yet another new job. And Sakura's father was out on yet another trip for the university. Kero had the house all to himself…and was bored out of his skull. With nothing else to do, Kero reached over into his desk drawer and pulled out one of his new comic books.

One of the things Kero was starting to enjoy recently was this discovery of comic books. It was quickly becoming one of his favorite recreational activities. At least it would be until the next Zylon Warriors game was released.

Kero couldn't help but be fascinated about certain crime fighters. Sure, there were some with outrageous powers that came from other planets that couldn't have possibly existed. Then there were the more realistic heroes. The types like Batman who were mere mortals with uncanny ingenuity. Those were the ones who caught the eye of the little guardian beast.

Just as Kero was about to crack open another Batman comic, someone knocked on the door. He didn't make too much of it, since there was no one around. But a few seconds later, the person gave up on the door and went over towards the side of the yard.

"Sakura? Are you here?"

It was eighteen-year-old Madison Taylor, Sakura's best friend, wearing a blue dress and holding up her video camera. She looked up and waited for someone to answer and Kero wasn't one to disappoint. He flew over and looked down.

"She's not here, Madison. She's out with the brat…again. I thought you'd know that by now."

Madison shook her head. "Just because Li lives in my guesthouse doesn't mean I know when he leaves. Can I at least come in and wait for her?"

"I thought you had a key," Kero thought.

"I left it at Eriol's house. Can you get the front door for me?"

Kero grumbled as he flew freely down the stairs. One of the upsides of Sakura's family knowing her secret was that he could fly around the house at will and only had to put on his stuffed animal act for visitors. He reached the front door and unlocked it. Almost immediately, the door opened up and Madison walked in.

"I guess we can wait until Sakura comes back," Kero said. "After all, how long can the brat possibly have her out?"

"I think we both know the answer to that," Madison replied. "But I'll wait for a few hours, anyway."

Madison took a seat on the couch and Kero sat right beside her. He looked around and just sighed.

"Something wrong?" Madison asked.

Kero nodded. "Madison…I'm actually glad you're here. I got sick of talking to myself after a while. Does it feel like life has gotten…I don't know…what's the word I'm looking for?"

"I don't know. What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that…life around here has gotten……………boring."

Madison slowly turned her head to face Kero. "What do you mean?"

"I remember things used to be so exciting," Kero explained. "We were out capturing cards of all kinds, facing all kinds of magic, getting stuck in a pyramid, and even finding ancient crystals. That all seems like ancient history now. What have we done lately? I feel like we haven't done ANYTHING! I'm just…BORED!"

After hearing Kero's words, Madison nodded. "So you've noticed it, too?"

Kero blinked. "I'm not the only one?"

Madison sighed. "Every time something exciting happened, I'd get the chance to make beautiful costumes for Sakura. She'd look SO cute! But now, things have gotten so quiet. There hasn't been an occasion. In fact, I was coming over today to ask Sakura if I could just make her a costume for no reason at all. I want something to do, Kero. Things just haven't been the same without the excitement."

"Before, I used to play Zylon Warriors to pass the time," Kero continued. "And after that, I used to play all the Zylon Warriors sequels. But after going through every game so many times, over and over and over, the thrill from that was gone. So I went out to find a new hobby."

"Is that why you've been reading so many comic books lately?" Madison asked.

"I can't believe I haven't discovered these sooner," Kero replied. "I haven't gotten my imagination working like this in…well…a really long time. And some of these stories are really captivating. The story of a young boy avenging his parents through fighting crime or the story of a young nerd getting bitten by a radioactive spider just hits you deep. The life of a crime-fighter must be really exciting…especially a MASKED crime-fighter! That sense of mystery is just awe-inspiring. I wish we had a life like that.

"I mean, think about it! Fighting evil and righting the wrongs of the world through superhuman feats and tremendous acts of heroism. Fighting for truth and justice. And using whatever power you may have to defend the innocent. And let's not forget the fame that such a life brings. I wish we had it that good. It's too bad that we don't have any extraordinary…"

Kero paused and thought about what he was saying. He began to remember just who his mistress was. She was a brave, young heroine who wielded the power of 53 magical cards. She was a powerful girl with more power than most, if not all, of the comic book heroes he had read. And that's when it him. That's when a smirk widened across his face.

"Kero? Why do you have that look on your face?"

Kero flew up in front of Madison. "Maybe we CAN have that life! Silly me! I forgot that Sakura's the Card Mistress! She has powers that mere mortals could only DREAM OF!"

"Kero, Sakura IS a mortal," Madison pointed out.

Kero sweatdropped. "Oh…right." Then he shrugged that thought off. "But Batman's a mortal, too. And just look at him! Imagine living that kind of lifestyle."

"So what exactly are you suggesting?" Madison asked.

"I'm suggesting…Sakura become the world's greatest masked crime-fighter!" Kero exclaimed cheerfully.

"You think Sakura can fight crime?" Madison muttered skeptically. "Kero, I believe in Sakura more than anybody, but…I don't know about this one…"

"Come on, Madison. We've both seen what Sakura's capable of. She's saved this town a few times. I'm sure she can handle this. If I didn't think she could, I wouldn't be suggesting this. I can see it now! Sakura strikes fear into the hearts of criminals and evildoers everywhere! We can bring order to this city through use of the Sakura Cards…and some of our new superhero's sidekicks."

Madison blinked. "Sidekicks?"

"We'll get to that," Kero grinned. "But imagine the opportunity, not just for Sakura, not just for me, but for YOU!"

"What do I get out of this?" Madison asked curiously.

"YOU get to design Sakura's costume. You've got real talent, Madison. You can make Batman's ultra-cool costume look like fashion disasters by comparison! This'll really be your opportunity to show your stuff! You can design the costume, the mask, the belt to hold the cards, and whatever other little trinkets you want to add. And did I forget to mention? As Sakura's sidekick, you'll get to fight by her side on each and every one of our adventures!"

Madison's eyes sparkled. "I like the sound of that! You know, I'm starting to think this whole idea isn't so farfetched, after all!

The little guardian beast's eyes sparkled also. "It's great, isn't it?! I can't believe I never thought of this before!"

"So when do we start?" Madison squealed.

Kero frowned. "Uh…first, we'd have to actually tell Sakura. And she might not be cool with this idea at first, so we have until the time she gets back to work on our sales pitch. We need to think about how we're going to propose this."

With that, Kero and Madison both sat on the couch with their chins leaning on their hands. They were both deep in thought and waiting for Sakura to come home.

* * *

The clock almost struck five o'clock. It felt too soon for eighteen-year-old Sakura Avalon to just end the day, yet she was already at her doorstep. Of course, the day wouldn't actually end until she told her longtime love, Li Showron, to go home. And with both Tori and her father out, she wouldn't be doing that anytime soon.

Life was finally starting to calm down for Sakura. After having magic revolve around her life for so long and being wrapped up in so many adventures, all she wanted was for life to settle down. She couldn't have asked for anything else. She was thankful that she wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.

Sakura reached for her key and inserted it in the lock before turning to Li. "Wanna come in?"

Li smirked. "Do you even have to ask?"

Sakura turned the key and pushed the door open. What she didn't expect to see was a stampede head towards her. A stampede in the form of little Kero and her best friend, Madison. And they looked awfully happy about something.

"Sakura, we've been waiting forever for you to get home!" Madison said happily.

Sakura blinked. "You have?"

Kero dragged Sakura over to the couch. "Have a seat, Sakura. Wait until you hear this!"

  


Next Time: Kero and Madison pitch the new idea to Sakura. How does she take it? But it's not just her. How does Li take it? And how does a certain reincarnation take it?

  


*****- See "Keeping Secrets"

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	2. A Second Opinion

Last Time: Sakura as a masked superhero. Is it an idea whose time has come? Let's see what everybody else thinks.

  


**Who Is That Masked Cherry Blossom?: Part 1**

  


Kero wanted a big finish. After delivering his best sales pitch for the past hour or so, he was convinced that he had Sakura's confidence regarding this issue. And if he did, then life would start to get a lot more interesting. So he kept on going as flew back and forth across Sakura's room.

"Even you've got to admit that life has gotten boring, Sakura," Kero continued on. "But don't get me wrong. I see this as more than a way to make our lives exciting again. I see this as a whole new way to use the cards. As long as we aren't using them for anything else, we might as well use them to help keep the city…wait…the WORLD safe!

"I can see it now! You becoming the world's greatest masked crime-fighter! You can make the world a better place! You can use the cards to strike fear into the heart of evil! And have I mentioned…it'll cement your legacy in the eyes of millions! Why, you can be even bigger than Batman or Spiderman!"

Sakura took all this in with a sense of…skepticism. "Kero…do you know what you're saying?"

Kero landed on Sakura's shoulder. "Look at it from my perspective, Sakura. This could be revolutionary. Clow never thought of using the cards this way. The Li clan probably never thought of using the cards this way. But you can be the first. And you aren't using the cards for anything else right now. The cards are just sitting up there and the only time they come out is when you occasionally want to talk to them."

Sakura hung her head down. "Well…I don't know. It sounds dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Kero scoffed. "Have you seen some of things you've encountered in your lifetime? How many times have you stared danger in the face whenever you tried to seal any of the cards? Or whenever you tried to convert the cards? And don't even get me started on the adventures we've had since then. This ought to be nothing! You're a brave girl, Sakura. You're braver than anybody I know! And if anybody can handle this, it's you!

"Trust me! This'll be great! You have nothing to be afraid of. Um…look, I can still see you're a little skeptical. I'll tell you what. If you think this is crazy, just say so."

"I think you're out of your mind!"

That wasn't Sakura who responded. That voice got the ire of the little guardian beast.

"Who asked you, brat?!"

Li Showron just kept a cold demeanor. "You don't even know what you're saying! That's got to be one of the craziest things I've ever heard! Do you know how dangerous being a crime-fighter is?"

"You talk as if Sakura will get hurt or something," Kero shrugged. "She'll be just fine."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You've seen everything Sakura's faced in her life. You honestly think that something like THIS would be any more difficult. What are you trying to say, Li? You saying Sakura can't handle it?"

That got Sakura's attention. "Hey! That's not what you're saying, is it, Li?"

Li stammered. "Uh…n-no…that's not what I meant! Kero, stop twisting my words!"

"Some boyfriend you have, Sakura," Kero said disappointedly. "He has no faith in your ability. He doesn't think you can handle this."

"That's not what I meant!"

"I thought you'd have faith in Sakura by now, Li," Madison added.

That's when Li shifted his focus. "And what's your excuse?! Maybe Sakura won't be in so much danger, but what about you?! Sakura may have some line of defense, but you don't have any magic at all! What if YOU get put in danger? What if some wacko goes after you?"

Madison wasn't shaken at all. "That's why Sakura's around. So far, in all the years I've known Sakura, nothing bad has happened to me."

Li raised an eyebrow. "Need I remind you of the Voice Card?"

Madison shrugged. "That's just one incident."

"Oh, trust me. There's been MORE than one incident."

"The point is, I'm still standing, right? I'll be just fine and I'm with Kero on this one. Maybe we can make a difference. And…it'll be a sure way to bring some excitement to our lives!"

Kero flew back onto Sakura's shoulder. "So what do you say, Sakura? Give it a shot? Just for one night. You never know. You might like it and you might make a big impact. You could make the world a better place."

Sakura thought about it…and smiled. "Well…you talked me into it..."

Li's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

"But..."

"This is great!" Kero interrupted. "We can start as soon as possible! Madison, how long will it take you to get a costume ready?"

Li tried to cut all this off. "Kero…"

"I'll start tonight! Can you help me, Kero? I could use some help with the design."

"Kero…"

"We'll be over tonight," Kero answered. "We've got a lot to think about. Not just the costume, but we need to think about a lot of things."

"Kero…"

"Why don't we head over right now?" Madison suggested. "I mean, we aren't doing anything, so we might as well."

"Kero…"

"Let's do that. What do you say, Sakura?"

"KERO!"

"What is it, brat?" Kero growled.

Li Showron just shook his head. "I think we should get a second opinion."

* * *

"No! Uh-uh! Forget it! Absolutely not! No way!"

Sakura sweatdropped. So did everybody else present. Li had dragged them all down to the apartment of one Eriol Eli Moon, who was sitting in his big chair with Spinner sitting on one of the arms. Ruby was sweeping around with a broom while Sakura, Madison, and Li all sat on one of the couches. Kero was just flying above Sakura's head. Somehow, Li knew that Eriol would be opposed to this whole thing. And sure enough, the reincarnation didn't disappoint in disappointing little Kero.

Kero scratched his chin. "You know…I get the feeling you aren't cool with the idea."

Eriol face-faulted. "No, I am not cool with the idea!"

"But I absolutely MUST give you points for creativity, Kero," Spinner chimed in. "I haven't heard an idea that wild in months. What do you have for an encore?"

"Please stay out of this, Spinner," Eriol groaned. Then he focused back on Kero. "Do you honestly think this is the purpose Clow had in mind when he created the cards? To purposely go looking for danger?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Kero said innocently. "I think Clow never used the cards this way because he never thought of it. I think if he were pitched this idea, he would have liked it."

Eriol begged to differ. "Yeah, well I'm half his reincarnation and I DON'T like it! And that should be good enough for you!" Then he shot Sakura a cold stare. "What's the matter with you? You're letting yourself be manipulated by one of your own guardians!"

Sakura frowned. "Will you listen to yourself? Manipulated?"

"Ok, ok, maybe 'manipulated' is a harsh word."

"It is," Kero agreed. "Especially since Madison's just as big a part of this as I am."

Eriol's eyes widened. "Is that true?!"

Madison nodded. "I think it's a great idea. And I think it's a chance to make our lives exciting."

Eriol chuckled. "You said 'our'. As in plural. As in 'more than just Sakura'." He reached over and took a drink of water.

"That's right. There's Kero and there's me, Sakura's new sidekick."

And that's when Eriol did an immediate spit take. "WHAT?! Have you lost your mind?! That's suicide!"

"Oh, and look who this is coming from," Madison argued. "This is coming from the same guy who sent a gigantic teddy bear after us!"

"T-T-That was seven years ago!" Eriol stammered. "And I knew it wouldn't REALLY kill you. That was just a test for Sakura, remember? I never meant for you to get in harm's way."

"And yet, your giant teddy bear could have squashed me like a bug," Madison pointed out. "But it didn't. And you want to know why? Because Sakura was right there to protect me, just like she'll be there when we start our new adventures."

Eriol buried his face in his hands. "Oy!"

That's when Ruby decided to interject herself. "Uh…if Sakura has to protect you…doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of having a sidekick? I thought a sidekick was supposed to be a helper, not a liability."

Eriol nodded triumphantly. "Very good point, Ruby."

"An intelligent comment," Spinner cracked. "Who knew Ruby had it in her?"

In response to that wisecrack, Ruby conked Spinner over the head with the broom handle. Eriol shifted his gaze towards his guardians, sending them a silent message to keep it quiet.

Madison shook her head. "Who said I would be a liability?"

"No one has to say it," Eriol answered. "You have no magical powers, whatsoever. You're a total normal. You wouldn't last a minute, much less one night."

Sakura flinched. Li just looked at Sakura curiously, because he didn't see it coming. But Sakura knew. She knew her best friend better than anybody and she wasn't about to take that remark lying down.

"Is THAT what you think?!" Madison snarled. "You think I'm totally defenseless?!"

Eriol scoffed. "Just think about it. I'm opposing this whole idea because I'm worried about Sakura's welfare, and she's the Card Mistress. Compared to her, you're about as defenseless as it gets."

Madison's face was beet red. Finally, Li knew what was coming. He scooted over towards Sakura. And Sakura braced herself for the backlash.

"So I'm DEFENSELESS?! I'll show you, Eriol Eli Moon…!"

"Watch the middle name!"

"Ok, I won't use your middle name, Harry Potter! But I'll tell you what I WILL do! I'm going to be Sakura's sidekick! And Sakura WILL be the world's greatest superhero! There's nothing you can say that'll change her mind and there's nothing you can do that'll stop us!!"

Eriol's jaw dropped and his lip quivered. "Y-Y-Y-You promised **NEVER** to call me that!"

Madison turned around and started storming off. "Let's go, Kero! We need to get Sakura's costume ready."

Kero's spirits were lifted. "Whoo-hoo! I'm right behind you, Madison!"

The cold exchange ended. Sakura knew that Eriol and Madison were as close as a couple could get, but they also had their share of fights. This looked to be one of the bigger ones. Although Madison and Kero had already left, the soon-to-be superhero finally raised her hand timidly.

"Can *I* say something? Doesn't anybody want to hear MY thoughts on this?"

"I don't think it'll matter," Eriol sighed. "Those two seem to be dead set on this and I don't think they'll take 'no' for an answer. But go ahead. What do you have to say?"

"I don't want to dismiss this idea right away," Sakura began. "I think Kero makes some good points. The world's not perfect. And maybe this way…I can help make it a better place. I really don't see any reason why I shouldn't use the cards this way. They aren't being put to a better use.

"But I agree with you, too. Everything I've faced in my life has just…happened. Kero's asking me to go purposely seeking danger and I don't think he understands that. That's why I'm not 100 percent sure I should do this.

"So I decided to give it a try. I want to try it and judge for myself whether the risks are worth it."

Li was ready to protest. "But Sakura, one night is all it takes…"

"Now hold on a minute, Li," Eriol interrupted. "I think it's obvious that unlike Kero and Madison, Sakura has put some thought on the subject. Sakura, if this is how you feel…then I won't stand in your way."

Li didn't expect that. "What?!"

Sakura smiled. "Thank you, Eriol." She turned and smirked at her boyfriend. "At least SOMEBODY has faith in me."

With that, Sakura said her farewells and took off with Li walking slowly behind her. It was obvious that he still didn't like this idea, but it wasn't his choice to make. It was Sakura's and she had made her decision.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Spinner sat on the arm of Eriol's chair and watched Sakura and Li walk out. As soon as they were gone, he shook his head.

"I don't understand you sometimes, Master. I honestly believed you were passionate about squashing Kero's insane suggestion. Why did you give in so easily?"

Eriol didn't need to answer him. When Spinner turned around and looked up, he saw a smirk widen across his face. It was a familiar smirk…an EVIL smirk.

"I know that look," Ruby squealed. "What are you thinking about, Master?"

Eriol chuckled ominously. "Oh…you'll see…"

  


Next Time: Sakura's life as a crime-fighter is about to begin. So Kero and Madison get ready to sort out all the important details. Is Sakura ready? Will Li tear his hair out worrying? And what DOES our favorite reincarnation have in mind? Oh, yes, and there's one more reaction to get. What does YUE think?!

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	3. What's In A Name?

Last Time: Sakura was pitched the idea of becoming the next big superhero. After getting reactions from Li, Madison, and Eriol, Sakura was finally given a chance to give her thoughts. She's ready to give this a shot. But our favorite reincarnation has something in mind.

  


**Who Is That Masked Cherry Blossom?: Part 2**

  


A night later, after letting everything sink in, Sakura now found herself over in Madison's room. She was sitting on Madison's bed, while Kero and Madison were examining the wide wardrobe in the big walk-in closet.

"There are so many. You're telling me you made these last night?"

"Each and every one of them. I couldn't sleep, I was so excited!"

"Which one should we use? They all look so cool and…superhero-like."

"Let's try this one. Sakura!"

Sakura sweatdropped. It sounded like this would be a long night.

* * *

"What do you think, Kero?"

"I dunno…I think this one's been done."

Sakura found herself wearing black and green tights with a green mask over her eyes. Kero flew over and examined her whole look.

"This looks a little Green Lantern-ish for my tastes. Madison, we need something a little more original."

Madison looked in her closet. "Original, huh? Let's try…this one!"

* * *

Sakura stepped out of the closet to reveal an oversized and puffed up white costume. The sleeves and pants legs were blown up and so were the shoulder pads. It was so Sakura could resemble…

"There you go!" Madison grinned. "NOW you look like a star!"

Kero examined the costume. "No, no, no. This won't work at all. This'll completely reduce her mobility. She needs something else she can work with."

Madison went back to her closet. "Ok, I have another one."

* * *

Slowly but surely, the costumes began to take a less superhero-like look and move towards Madison's usual style of bizarre costumes. Sakura found herself in a brown hood and cape, dark blue tank top over a long-sleeved yellow shirt, and a short light blue skirt.

Kero flew over and examined the costume. "Well…it's certainly original."

"You forgot to add 'very cute'," Madison added.

"Eh, but something like this doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of evildoers. The cape's a nice touch, but is there anything else we could use?"

Madison looked in her closet again. "Well…there's one more I'd like to try…"

* * *

Sakura walked out and found herself wearing pink spandex with a cherry blossom designed in the middle of the top. She also had a dark red mask, boots, and cape.

Kero examined the costume, just like he did all the others. This time, he smiled. "Hey, this one's pretty good. This one just might work."

Madison grinned. "You look cute!"

"Uh…cute? What kind of cute?" Sakura asked.

"Relax, Sakura. You look 'Sakura cute', not 'Powerpuff Girl cute'."

Kero flew over towards the bed. "Ok, we got the costume ready to go. But it's just missing one thing." He reached under the bed and pulled out a yellow belt. "Your very own utility belt!"

That got her curious. Kero handed the utility belt to her and she looked it over. There were pockets all over the belt, and when Sakura opened up each pocket, she found that they were each holding some of the Sakura Cards.

Kero explained the perks. "It's got a place for the Sakura Cards, but there's plenty more. I made sure to add some handy tools to use in a tight spot, just like a Batman would!"

Sakura was intrigued by these features, but as she tried to look in, Kero flew in the way.

"Where would the fun be if you looked right now?" Kero grinned. "Wait until we actually get where the action is."

"It's not too late to back out, Sakura," another voice said.

Sakura, Kero, and Madison looked over at the door to see Li standing there. Sakura had wondered why he didn't come out as soon as she got there, but he was there now. And to say he still had a look of disapproval on his face would be an understatement.

"She's not backing out, brat!" Kero snapped. "If you aren't gonna support us, then just stay out of our way!"

"You sure you aren't giving up this crazy scheme, Kero?" Li asked.

"There's nothing you can say to change our minds!" Kero answered.

"I don't think I'LL have to say anything," Li said calmly. "I'll leave that up to HIM!"

Sakura curiously turned her head and saw someone flying by the window. She couldn't believe she had forgotten to get his opinion on the matter.

Madison gulped. "Uh-oh."

Kero sneered. "Great! When did YOU get here?"

The one at the window, of course, was the guardian, Yue. "Apparently not soon enough. If Li hadn't come to Julian, I would have remained unaware of this whole situation. May I ask what you're thinking, putting the Mistress in this kind of unnecessary danger?"

"It's called an 'experiment'," Kero growled. "It's a work in progress! We want to put the cards to a new use!"

"I highly doubt that this is what Clow Reed had in mind when he created the cards," Yue shot back. "Are you aware of the dangers of this decision?! Sakura could get hurt or worse!"

"She's not gonna get hurt," Kero muttered. "How could she get hurt? I'll be right there! I'll be watching Sakura and Madison!"

Yue blinked and pointed. "The camera girl's going, too?"

"I'm one of her sidekicks," Madison said proudly.

"How could you be so irresponsible, Kero?!" Yue demanded. "You know what I'll have to do!"

"What's that?" Kero grumbled.

Yue looked over at Sakura. "Mistress, are you in favor of this decision?"

Sakura thought about that. "My decision is that I'm going to give this a try. I'll give it a chance and I'll decide from there whether I want to continue this."

"Then there's only one thing I can do," Yue sighed.

Li smirked. He knew that Yue would be on his side. Kero scowled, knowing that Yue would be against him. And Madison just prepped her camera, as if nothing were happening at all.

"I'll have to accompany you."

Li and Kero's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

"My purpose is to protect the Mistress from any danger," Yue explained. "And since this sounds like a dangerous endeavor, I feel that I will be needed."

Li was in disbelief. By his expression, he knew that his plan had backfired. He was obviously hoping Yue would talk Sakura out of this, not tag along. And Kero…obviously didn't want the pessimistic judge along for the ride.

"Great," Kero muttered. "I can actually see the fun getting sucked out of this."

Madison suddenly thought of something. "Kero? Just where ARE we going?"

Kero perked up again. "I'm glad you asked me that, Madison!" He flew under the bed and came up with the front page of the newspaper. "Tonight, we bring a criminal to justice!"

Sakura read the headline on the front page:

**CAT BURGLAR STRIKES AGAIN**

It was the serial cat burglar who had robbed several homes blind. It looked like something simple enough. But there was a line that caught her attention.

"Kero, this says the cat burglar's armed and dangerous!"

"He's not the only one who can be considered dangerous!" Kero said confidently. "That burglar's never met up with someone like you before. He'll be sorry he ever turned to a life of crime!"

"You really think I can take him?" Sakura asked.

"Absolutely!" Kero grinned. "Nobody stands a chance against…uh…um…we don't have a name for you yet, do we?"

Li scoffed. "You made all these plans and you don't even have a name for Sakura yet?"

Kero ignored Li and just scratched his chin. He looked around for inspiration and then looked at Sakura's costume. He saw the symbol in the middle of the chest.

"The Cherry Blossom!!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "The Cherry Blossom?"

"I love it!!" Madison squealed.

Li sweatdropped, too. "Doesn't exactly strike terror into the hearts of criminals."

"But the Cherry Blossom is so…so…so…Sakura! You know something, now that I look at it…we've got a whole team going here! We definitely have an 'Avengers' vibe going here. This might work out, after all.

"Sakura Avalon is the Cherry Blossom, with the mystic power of the Sakura Cards! Madison Taylor is…uh…the Fantastic Camera, with the power to hold her video camera through any situation! Yue, over there, is…uh…The Judge! That's right, The Judge with his dark personality and powers of the moon! And I, Kero, will be The Beast!"

"I think that name's taken," Madison pointed out.

"It is? Then I'll take the next best thing. Uh…I'll be the Golden Lion with my fire powers and powers of the sun! We're all gonna make such a cool team!"

Li cleared his throat. "I think you're forgetting someone."

"No I'm not," Kero said casually.

"Yes you are. You're forgetting about me."

A vein popped out of his head. "Huh?! YOU?!"

"I thought you were against the idea, Li," Sakura said.

"I AM! But I can't let you do this alone. I love you and I'm not going to let you take this risk without me."

Kero begrudgingly sighed. "Fine then. You can be…the Incredible Wolf! Fits your personality well, brat."

"Incredible Wolf?" Madison repeated. "Aren't we treading into dangerous territory in terms of copyrights?"

"That's a chance we're willing to take. Although lawyers can be more dangerous than any criminal we encounter. So is this it? Are we ready to go?"

Sakura looked out the window. Reedington wasn't exactly a crime-infested town. Maybe this would only last one night. Of course, she remembered what she had heard before. One night is all it takes. But she definitely had protectors by her side. Maybe this wouldn't be as difficult as she thought.

Sakura nodded. "Ready!"

"NO!" Madison cried.

Everyone looked at Madison, who had her arms crossed.

"I'd have to make a costume for Li first!"

Kero sweatdropped. "Good point."

Sakura sighed. This night just kept on going. And she could feel that it would be a LONG night, indeed.

* * *

Eriol walked out into the front yard. Ruby and Spinner followed right behind him, curious as to what their master had in mind. But he had a plan in mind. Something that would hopefully discourage this whole 'superhero' thing once and for all.

"What are we doing, Master?" Ruby asked.

Eriol smirked. "Let's head out to the toy store. I'm in the mood for a little shopping."

"I never pictured you as the type to play with toys before," Spinner thought.

"Let's just say that the events of the past few days have kindled an interest," Eriol chuckled. "And by the end of the week…we'll be playing with more than just toys."

After the shock of the last few days, Eriol knew he had to resort to something extreme to bring Sakura to her senses. And this would do nicely. It would also bring Kero back down to Earth. But Eriol had to admit one thing: life had gotten boring.

That would soon change.

  


Next Time: The Cherry Blossom and her team go hunting for a cat burglar. How does the first night go? And what does our favorite reincarnation have in mind? Find out next time!

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	4. Spring Into Action

Last Time: We discussed certain important superhero issues, such as costumes, names, and of course, where to go on this first night of crime-fighting. In a final attempt to stop the madness, Li got in contact with Yue, but the guardian only agreed to tag along. So whether anybody likes it or not, Sakura (now known as the Cherry Blossom) will be fighting crime for at least one night. But what they don't know is that our favorite sorcerer has something up his mischievous sleeve.

  


**Who Is That Masked Cherry Blossom?: Part 3**

  


Sakura nearly fell asleep. She never pictured her first night of crime-fighting being so…boring. The night was nearly over and absolutely nothing had happened. There was no sign of the cat burglar they were seeking. They hadn't moved from their station atop one of the city's trees all night.

"What are we still doing here, Kero?" Li sighed.

"You have no idea how to tap into the criminal mind, do you, brat?" Kero scoffed. "Every sick criminal mind follows some type of pattern during his sprees. It just so happens that I've figured out our cat burglar's pattern."

"And what might that be?" Yue asked curiously.

"The cat burglar's always stealing from two-story houses in residential neighborhoods. He also steals from people that are particularly well off, and judging from this guy's luxury sedan, he looks pretty well off to me. And the lights are out, which leads me to believe that the people in this house aren't here. You might as well put up a big 'ROB ME' sign on the door."

"You've been reading too many comics," Li scoffed. "That doesn't tell us anything."

Just then, a hook zoomed by at a blinding speed and attached itself to the house's roof. There was a line attached to the roof, from which a hooded figure dressed in all black and a mask rolled down…on a unicycle, skillfully balancing himself on the line. He rolled over to the roof and leapt off his unicycle before it tipped over. Once he was off, he folded up the unicycle and stuffed it in his backpack. Then he lowered a rope and started climbing down the chimney.

"I guess this is where we spring into action," Sakura said nervously. "Guess there's no time like the present."

Li tried to stop her. "Sakura, wait!"

Without thinking ahead, Sakura rushed out of her hiding place and jumped out of the tree.

"Fly!"

With the aid of the Fly Card, Sakura flew over to the house and nearly left everybody behind. And without thinking, Sakura recalled the Fly Card and called another card to help.

"Power Card!"

Sakura called on the Power Card and swung forward with her wand, shattering the front door. It exploded into many pieces. Unfortunately…

…that set off the security system. The very LOUD security system.

Sakura stood frozen. She had never done this sort of thing before and she really didn't know what move to make next. There was a burglar inside the house and she had already unwittingly set off the security system. And she didn't get any more decisive when she heard the sound of a gun being loaded. She slowly turned her head and saw the masked cat burglar pointing his weapon right at her.

"I don't know who you think you are, young lady," he said in an English accent. "But this was NOT a wise move on your part."

Sakura saw her life flash before her eyes when the gun went off. But the bullet only hit a shield. Somebody had come to her aid. She turned around and saw Yue behind her.

The cat burglar tilted his head. "I say, what is this? First, I'm trying to shoot a girl in a costume and now my shot is deflected by a freak with wings?"

"Hey, he's not just a freak with wings," Sakura said indignantly. "He's…uh…" She leaned over and whispered in Yue's ear. "What was your name again?"

Yue sighed. "The Judge."

"Uh…yeah! He's The Judge and I…am the Cherry Blossom, here to stop you from committing anymore acts of treachery and evil!"

The cat burglar sweatdropped. "Did I die and land in a comic book? What exactly are you supposed to be, anyway? Some kind of superhero?"

"For your information, that's EXACTLY what she's supposed to be!"

The cat burglar slowly turned around to see Keroberos, freshly changed into his true form, standing right behind him.

"Uh…allow me to make the proper introductions," Keroberos grinned. "You've met the Cherry Blossom and The Judge. Over there with the camcorder, we have the Fantastic Camera…"

Madison waved cheerfully from the distance as she got this whole exchange on tape.

"…and over to my left, we have the Incredible Wolf."

Li sighed. He was in disbelief that he was having any part of this.

"…and I am…The Beast!"

Madison cleared her throat. "HELLOOOO!! Did somebody say 'LAWSUIT'?!"

Keroberos sweatdropped. "Oh, yeah. I forgot. For copyright purposes, I am known as…the Golden Lion! And YOU must be the cat burglar. As Reedington's newest crime-fighting fellowship, we're here to stop you from robbing this house. Ahem…tell him, Cherry Blossom."

Sakura sweatdropped. "Do I HAVE to?"

"Just like we practiced, Cherry Blossom," Madison chimed in.

Sakura sighed and wielded her wand in a choreographed pose. "I am the mighty Cherry Blossom! And I am here to pick the cherries of justice!"

Li groaned. "We went through this for six hours and THAT'S the best line we could come up with?"

"Back off!" Sakura pouted. "I'm new at this! I'd like to see YOU do any better."

The cat burglar shook his head. "You're all nuts! I'm getting out of here!"

The cat burglar tossed down a smoke ball and the surrounding area filled up with smoke. As everybody coughed and tried to catch their breath, the cat burglar ran through the smoke and started running down the street.

Yue turned around. "I believe our criminal is attempting to flee."

Sakura started running after him. "I'll stop him!"

It didn't take long for Li to follow. "Sakura, wait for me!"

The cat burglar was a quick one. He was already down the street. But it wasn't as if Sakura wasn't quite the athlete herself. She was quick on her feet too. It didn't take her long to catch up to him, but she didn't realize that he still had a gun in his hand. He turned around to shoot, but he didn't get the chance.

"Element: Wind!"

Sakura stopped in her tracks and Li's wind spell caught the cat burglar and started spinning him around in a furious tornado. Had it come a second later, the cat burglar would have fired. Li had saved her life.

As much as she wanted to reflect on that, Sakura didn't have much time. She quickly reached for a card to end this night of crime-fighting.

"Sleep Card! Release and dispel!"

As Li's wind spell ended, the Sleep Card came out and sprinkled dust all over the cat burglar.

The cat burglar yawned. "I say, this looks like a good place for a nap."

The cat burglar fell over and fell into a deep sleep. The burglar had been stopped. With the danger averted, Sakura reached over and hugged Li.

"Li, you saved my life! You knew he was going to fire his gun and you stopped him just in time!"

Li blinked. "Uh…………yeah………I knew he was going to do that."

Sakura released her hug and gave her boyfriend a quizzical look. "You…DID know he was going to shoot me, right? That's why you used your wind spell."

Li sweatdropped and nodded nervously. "Yeah………of course I did."

Just then, Keroberos, Yue, and Madison all caught up to them and saw the scene of the fallen cat burglar.

"Sakura, you did it!" Madison cheered. "I knew you were a natural at this!"

"See, Yue?" Keroberos grinned. "I told you this was a good idea. The perfect superhero! No trouble at all, right Sakura?"

Sakura hesitated. "Well, he did turn to shoot me, but Li saved me just in time. He saw that move coming a mile away, didn't you, Li?"

Li nodded slowly. "Yes…………saw it coming a mile away."

Li slowly walked off as Sakura was left to wonder what that tone was all about. Sakura walked over to Madison to try and make something out of this.

"Madison…"

Madison just shook her head. "Two words: Dumb…luck."

Sakura's eyes widened. It finally hit her that her life had come dangerously close to coming to an end. If Li had been one second later…

"HOE!!!!"

* * *

"What do you mean you quit?!?!"

Little Kero thought the first night of crime-fighting went very well. It didn't take long for police to apprehend the cat burglar and Sakura successfully helped get a criminal off the streets. By all means, this should have been the first step in creating a legacy.

But once they got home, for some reason, Sakura had decided to call it quits. After what should have been considered a huge victory for the forces of good, Sakura wanted to cut her career as a crime- fighter short after one night.

"Kero, do you know how close I came to getting killed tonight?!" Sakura snapped. "If Li had acted a second later, who knows what would have happened? Maybe I'm not cut out for this."

"Sakura, if anything, you've proven that you ARE capable of this," Kero replied. "I've always said that you're capable of anything. You handled that cat burglar like a pro. The way you bravely rushed in, the way you bravely chased that cat burglar, and the way you bravely stared death in the face! It doesn't get any better than that!"

"You think that's GOOD?!" Sakura asked in disbelief. "You're crazy, Kero!"

"Sakura, tonight we made a huge difference. We took a dangerous criminal off the streets. If we hadn't been there, that family would have gotten robbed blind and maybe a whole bunch of homes would have been burglarized in the future. And not only did you stop a real burglar, but you looked good doing it."

Sakura sighed. "You really think so?"

"Of course I do! Sakura, I'm not asking you to do the impossible. If I thought this was really dangerous, then I wouldn't ask you to do it. After all, I really care about you. I wouldn't put you in danger on purpose."

"Are you sure about that?" Sakura asked skeptically.

"Sakura, we're superheroes armed with magical powers taking on burglars and thieves. It's not like we're taking on supervillains or anything. This should be easy for us."

Sakura sighed again. "Well…" Then she grinned. "Can we work on that motto?"

Kero thought about that. "Ok, I'll admit it. The motto needs work. But we've got plenty of time to work on that…and some other surprises."

Sakura blinked. "Surprises? Like what?"

Kero grinned. "Oh…you'll see."

* * *

In his lifetime, Eriol Eli Moon had seen many things, not all of them pleasant. But seeing Sakura and her friends trying to become a superhero team was the craziest thing he had ever been witness to. It was something he knew he had to nip in the bud.

And after a night of shopping, he had just what he needed. If this didn't scare Sakura out of the crime-fighting business, he didn't know what would.

"Master, are you sure you want to resort to this?" Ruby asked. "I mean, isn't this a little extreme?"

Eriol chuckled. He knew this was rather harsh, but he saw no other alternative. And besides that, this may also prove to be quite fun. Just thinking about it made him chuckle with mischievous delight.

"Call this 'tough love'."

* * *

Next Time: 'Tough love' comes in the form of the Cherry Blossom's newest foe. Who is it? Come back next time and see!

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	5. Superheroine Meets Supervillain

Last Time: The Cherry Blossom and her team of do-gooders went on the job for the first time. Bravely standing up to a dangerous cat burglar, the Cherry Blossom triumphed (while the Fantastic Camera got the encounter on tape, of course). But little do they know that the Mischievous Wizard (alias Eriol Eli Moon) has something in store for our heroes.

  


**Who Is That Masked Cherry Blossom?: Part 4**

  


"Master, are you sure this is a good idea?"

Eriol, donning a fresh blue wizard's robe and hat, grabbed his wand and got ready to unleash his magical spell.

"Of course I am. The best way to end all this superhero nonsense is to scare Sakura out of it. And luckily, I found the most fearsome villain in the entire universe."

"At least that's what it says on the box," Spinner grinned.

"But isn't this a little TOO dangerous?" Ruby said nervously. "I mean, Sakura could be hurt or worse."

"I wouldn't let anything happen to any of them," Eriol assured her. "This is just a scare tactic. A very REAL scare tactic, mind you, but a scare tactic nonetheless. Now stand back while I bring this action figure to life!"

Ruby and Spinner made some space while the action figure stood on the ground. Eriol wielded his wand and cast his spell, casting down a bright blue light on the action figure. Seconds later, the action figure wasn't there. It was replaced by the actual fearsome villain.

More than pleased with himself, Eriol smirked. "Welcome, my friend. I've got a job for you."

* * *

It should have been an average night, but once again the Cherry Blossom was out on patrol. Tonight, she was hovering on the rooftop of an ice cream shop. Nightly patrols were a downside that came with being a crime-fighter, apparently.

"You know, Keroberos…?"

"Ahem…Cherry Blossom, you have to stop calling me that," Keroberos interrupted. "You'll risk revealing my secret identity."

"What secret identity?" Li scoffed. "Don't you think you're being a little dramatic?"

"I am NOT being dramatic!" Keroberos huffed. "Secret identities are a sacred thing in the world of superheroes. What would I do if people found out I was actually Keroberos, Guardian Beast of the Seal?"

Li just held his head. "There are so many things wrong with that question that I think I have a headache."

Sakura sighed. "Ok, Golden Lion…don't you think my family will get a little worried about me wandering out every night to go on patrol?"

Keroberos snickered. "Bite your tongue, Cherry Blossom. Patrolling the streets is a common staple of crime-fighting. Why, just look at Batman or Superman or Spiderman? They're constantly patrolling the streets looking for bad guys."

"But Clow never intended us to be purposefully looking for trouble," Yue pointed out.

"We wouldn't be looking for trouble if the Cherry Blossom couldn't handle it," Madison grinned. "She's more than up to it."

"Exactly!" Keroberos nodded. "So what are we all worried about?"

"We're worried about something really dangerous coming out one of these days," Li answered. "Something that could get us all killed."

Madison sighed. "Oh, Li…let me explain it all to you again. Sakura has more magic in her finger than any regular person, myself included. All we're dealing with are thieves and criminals, all of whom don't have those powers. It's a big advantage in our favor. Unless we deal with something out of the ordinary, then the Cherry Blossom can handle anything."

****BOOM****

A deafening explosion lit up the sky and got everyone's attention. Everyone turned around and saw panic coming from the park.

Sakura sweatdropped. "WHY do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"We'd better check it out," Keroberos muttered.

Sakura reached for the Fly Card. Yue carried Li while Madison rode on Keroberos. The heroic tandem flew over towards the scene of all the destruction. The townspeople were fleeing and Sakura couldn't exactly see why.

"Where's this coming from?" she asked.

It didn't take long for the threat to come out. From the distance, where trees had been burned to a crisp, came out a hooded figure with a very recognizable look. He wore a hood and cowl over his head with a loincloth down below. He had the body of a bony human with a crossbones hanging over his chest.

Li's eyes widened. "That CAN'T be who I think it is!"

"Never seen him before," Yue noted. "Who is that?"

"Yeah, Li," Sakura added. "I've never seen him before. Who is it?"

"You mean you don't recognize…"

The figure kept on approaching, leaving a path of destruction in his wake, and brandishing a staff with the head of a ram at the end. The figure then lifted his head to reveal it was a human skull.

Li gulped. "Skeletor!"

* * *

Eriol was watching from the shrubs in the distance, eating a bag of popcorn. The look on Sakura's face when she saw the skull of the evil supervillain from "Masters of the Universe" was priceless. With the aid of his ram-headed Havoc Staff, Skeletor wielded sorcery and powers of darkness that rivaled even his own.

"Ruby Moon, where's my Coke?"

Ruby Moon, in her true form, handed Eriol his soda. "Master, he's leaving an awfully big trail of destruction."

"It's nothing we haven't already done," Eriol grinned. "What's amazing is, we haven't even seen half of what this guy could do."

"You're sure he won't kill them?" Spinner Sun asked.

Eriol sighed. "He may be the most feared being in all the universe…"

"Or so the box says," Ruby Moon cut in.

"BUT he has his orders. He's simply there for an exhibition. A very convincing exhibition!"

Skeletor slowly stalked towards Sakura, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She had obviously never met up with anything like this dark being, whose powers would rival Sakura's.

Eriol sneered. "If this doesn't get Sakura to give up this superhero nonsense, I don't know what will."

* * *

Sakura stood frozen. She didn't know much about Skeletor. All she remembered was vaguely recalling that Tori used to watch this show a lot when he was a kid. But she didn't know how dangerous he was. Of course, no matter how dangerous he was, she couldn't just let him destroy the town.

"STOP!"

Sakura bravely stepped forward. Skeletor stopped in his tracks.

"Who are you?" he snarled. "Who dares to stand against me?"

Sakura twirled her wand in her hand, doing another choreographed pose. "I…am the mighty Cherry Blossom and I am here to harvest the fruits of justice!"

Madison, standing at a safe distance behind Sakura, smiled. "I like that one much better, don't you, Keroberos?"

"It's a much better motto than the last one," the guardian beast replied. "I think we'll keep that one."

"SILENCE!!" Skeletor bellowed. "I am Skeletor, ruler of Infinita! And you shall not stop me from conquering Eternia!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Eternia?" She laughed sheepishly. "Oh, I see! This is all a big misunderstanding. You see, this isn't Eternia. This is Reedington and you're on…"

"ENOUGH!" Skeletor snapped. "Do not try to lie to save this world! Once I infiltrate Castle Grayskull, I shall conquer the universe!" The skull-headed villain then bent down and examined Sakura. "But what insult is this? I am used to battling with the likes of He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Battle Cat, and Ram-Man. Are you saying He-Man has gotten so COCKY over the years that he now believes he can defeat me by sending out a mere…Cherry Blossom?"

Sakura's sweatdrop got bigger. "I think there's been some kind of mistake…"

"This is an insult! I will show He-Man and the Royal Family of Eternia just who it is they are dealing with! And I will do it by dispensing with their minion, the…Cherry Blossom."

Sakura gulped. "But I don't even know He-Man or the Royal Family of Eternia! You're on the wrong…"

"The time for talk is OVER! I shall now destroy you!"

Skeletor unsheathed his sword and motioned to slash at Sakura. The terrified Cherry Blossom froze again and couldn't even dive out of the way. Luckily for her, someone was there to save her. The sword hit a barrier with a clang. Sakura turned her head to see that Yue had jumped in right on time.

"You will not harm my Mistress!" Yue said bravely.

"You're here to protect this flower," Skeletor scoffed. "And who might you be? The Daisy? The Petunia?"

"I am The Judge and it is time for me to pass judgement on you!"

"Very nice delivery," Keroberos muttered to himself. "Especially for a stiff like Yue." Knowing it was time to get serious, Keroberos charged forward. "You'll have to get past me if you want the Cherry Blossom. I am the Golden Lion. Over there at a safe distance is the Fantastic Camera and behind me, the brat known as the Incredible Wolf."

"I think we'd better skip the intros!" Li shouted. He unsheathed his own sword and tried to attack. "Fire, come to my aid!"

Li tried to attack with his fire spell. It engulfed Skeletor in flames, but he shrugged them off with ease. The attack did leave him momentarily distracted, but Sakura was in such a state of awe, she couldn't bring herself to move. It took a friendly tap from Yue to bring her back to reality.

Sakura shook off her shock and saw that her chance to attack was now. She took out one of her best cards.

"Power Card! Release and dispel!"

Sakura rushed forward as the fire surrounding Skeletor began to die down. She swung as hard as she could and connected with the fiend's jaw, sending him flying towards the fountain. He hit the water hard and cracked a big piece of the fountain.

"That looks like a knockout blow to me," Madison said.

"Nice shot," Yue added.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Skeletor proceeded to slowly get to his feet and rub his jaw.

"That…REALLY HURT! I'm really impressed. And impressing me is no easy feat."

"Does that mean you'll leave?" Sakura asked.

"No, that just means I won't hold anything back when I destroy you!"

Sakura gulped as Skeletor held up his staff. Dark light began to radiate around the staff's head. It looked like Sakura had only succeeded in ANGERING him.

* * *

Eriol shook his box. "I'm out of popcorn."

Eriol tossed the box back behind him. He looked out towards the fight scene and saw everyone taking a fighting stance and getting ready for an intense battle…all except for Sakura, who looked like she was about to faint. It was the best reaction he could have hoped for.

He chuckled sinisterly. "Now it's about to get good."

  


Next Time: The fight against Skeletor intensifies, but what happens when Skeletor starts to take the exhibition too far? Can the Cherry Blossom save the day again?

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	6. A Battle For 'Maul' Time

Last Time: It should have been just another simple night of crime-fighting. But things quickly got hairy when the mighty Cherry Blossom met up with…Skeletor? Her awesome power of…er…superdialogue wasn't enough to subdue the fiend and now a fierce battle rages on.

  


**Who Is That Masked Cherry Blossom: Part 5**

  


Sakura was ready to faint. She thought the Power Card had helped her win this impromptu battle, but it only succeeded in enraging an already hostile Skeletor. The villain raised his staff and the sky grew dark. The ram head of his staff then began to glow brightly. Whatever was coming, Sakura knew it wasn't good. She had to act fast.

"Shield Card!"

Lightning shot out of the staff but only hit the protective barrier of the Shield Card. Skeletor pounded his staff on the ground. The ground began to open up behind Sakura and her friends. Out of the crags emerged many ghoulish spirits. While they weren't able to penetrate the barrier of the Shield Card, they were enough to scare Sakura out of her wits.

"Oh great," Li muttered. "They found her Kryptonite."

Sakura felt her knees shaking. If there was one thing she was deathly afraid of, it was ghosts. She never bargained for any of this when she decided to take this job.

* * *

Eriol looked on as more ghouls began to emerge from the cracks in the ground. Skeletor must have been using his mastery of the dark arts to call them.

"Neat!" Eriol grinned. "I'll have to try that sometime."

"I don't think you're THAT kind of sorcerer, master," Ruby Moon noted.

"Don't tell me what kind of sorcerer I am," Eriol sighed.

"Uh, master?" Spinner Sun began. "How long are you going to continue this exhibition?"

"Just until the fun stops," Eriol answered. "And I don't think that time will come anytime soon."

The ghouls continued to come out and more began pounding against the Shield Card. Eriol knew better than anybody how strong the Shield Card could be. This could take a while, but just seeing Sakura squirm was enough to entertain him in the meantime.

* * *

Sakura would be flat on her back if it wasn't for Madison. Sakura's best friend had her in her arms and tried fanning her. The ghosts wouldn't stop coming out and their mere presence was getting to be too much for the wannabe superhero.

"Calm down, Cherry Blossom," Madison said nervously. "You'll be alright. They can't get through. They won't get to you."

Yue calmly turned to Keroberos. "You see what you've gotten us into? This is your fault, you know."

Keroberos sighed. "How was I supposed to know we'd be attacked by a fictional character? Ok, if you want to place all the blame on me, then I'll help make things right again. Observe as the Golden Lion exorcises these phantoms!"

Keroberos stepped out of the safety of the Shield Card and breathed out an inferno of fire. The ghosts were all hit, but none of them were eradicated. In fact, they were only covered in flames. They still remained undaunted and continued pounding away at Shield.

The guardian beast flew into the air. "It didn't work!"

"That's because you can't kill what's already dead," Skeletor explained. "It's common sense. And the dead certainly feel no pain."

Sakura kept shivering. "Enough already! Call them off! What do you want?!"

"I want the location of Castle Grayskull! Tell me where it is!"

Sakura groaned. "But I don't know where…!!"

Then she stopped herself in her tracks. If she couldn't beat Skeletor with any of her powers, she'd try more unorthodox methods. Not all superheroes relied on brawn. Some of them were able to outthink their villainous foes. The Cherry Blossom was about to do the same.

Sakura bravely stood up. "Ok, I'll tell you…on one condition."

Madison looked baffled. "Sakura?"

Skeletor chuckled. "I knew you'd see it my way." With a wave of his staff, the ground opened up again and the ghosts returned to the underworld. "There. Now tell me where Castle Grayskull is!"

"On one condition," Sakura reemphasized. "I saw you have a sword in your holster. I want to face you in a sword fight. And if I win, you leave this place forever and promise to stop your path of destruction."

Li's eyes widened. He inched closer to his girlfriend. "Uh…Sakura? Skeletor's one of the best fighters in the universe. You sure you know what you're doing?"

"The boy's right, you know," Skeletor noted. "This WOULD be an unfair advantage. I'll tell you what. Why don't I make this sporting for you? I'll let the boy fight at your side."

Sakura shrugged. "Alright, but you'll be sorry." For this task, she took out the card she needed. "Sword Card! Release and dispel!"

Sakura's wand extended out into the sharp blade of the Sword Card. Li took out his own sword. Both allies stood side-by-side as Skeletor took his sword out of his holster. After a brief standoff, both Cardcaptors charged forward with their swords drawn.

* * *

Ruby Moon scratched her chin. "Why does this look familiar to me?"

Eriol didn't have this in mind at all. While things were getting entertaining, he knew no good could come out of a sword fight with one of the mightiest warriors in the universe. It was just about time to step in.

"Should we intervene?" Spinner Sun asked.

Eriol stood up…but sat back down. "Not…just…yet…"

* * *

Sakura led off with a swing of her sword, which clashed with the metal of Skeletor's sword. The villain ran right past her and swung at Li, who met his swing with a swing of his own. Skeletor ran past them and stopped once the two sides were at a distance. He pulled another sword out of his holster and connected the two sword handles. The hooded villain had created a double-edged sword.

Madison grimaced. "Hope there aren't any lawyers watching."

Sakura charged again with Li right behind her. Both swung their respective swords, but were met with parries and missed thrusts from Skeletor's double-edged sword. Sakura swung sideways, but Skeletor skillfully jumped aside and spun towards Li. The villain tried to swipe at him, but Li countered by holding his sword up to meet the oncoming blade. Skeletor then kicked Li in the stomach once he was off-guard.

Skeletor swung his double-edged sword sideways, trying to decapitate Li, but Li knew how to defend himself. He tumbled out of the way and he found himself side-by-side with Sakura again. Both Cardcaptors briefly regrouped before charging in again. They tried to attack Skeletor from both sides, but Skeletor met each of their swings with parries and evasive maneuvers. He then leaped up in the air and spun with a furious kick, knocking both Li and Sakura back. While they recovered, Skeletor twirled his sword skillfully over his head.

Again, Sakura and Li rushed forward. They weren't getting any better this time around. Sakura tried swiping down with her sword, but only hit one of the blades of Skeletor's sword. While the two blades were against each other, Li tried to come in from the side, but before he could swing, his face met the back of Skeletor's fist. Once Li was knocked back, Skeletor kicked Sakura in the stomach. Skeletor turned around to see Li running towards him. As the villain swung his sword forward, Li jumped over the swing and dramatically rolled towards Sakura.

"Uh…Sakura…doesn't any of this look familiar to you?"

Sakura groaned. "Li, I think we all get that this is one big 'Star Wars' reference."

"But that's just it. If this is an homage to the Episode One climax, then shouldn't one of us be dying right about…AAAH!!"

As if on cue, Sakura looked on in horror to see one side of Skeletor's double-edged sword get lodged into Li's side. He pulled the blade out and Li fell to the ground.

Sakura gasped. "LI!! NO!!"

Li held his side, which was bleeding profusely, as Sakura knelt down to his side. Skeletor simply crossed his arms impatiently.

"That's one. Next?"

Sakura snarled and grew enraged. There were very few things in this world, or even this universe, more dangerous than an angry Sakura Avalon. Sakura was about to show this villain just what a mistake he had made.

Sakura charged forward once more and started swiping and swinging her sword wildly. Skeletor, the more composed of the two fighters, simply parried and blocked each blow. Sakura wanted to avenge Li more than anything. And she wouldn't let this fiend get away with what he did.

In hopes of getting ahead, Sakura just kept swinging wildly.

* * *

Madison inched closer to Li, who was still bleeding and losing vitality fast. There seemed to be nothing she could do. In her excitement and delusions of grandeur, she didn't think it would ever come to this. She couldn't believe her friend was dying.

The young girl solemnly closed her eyes, but didn't see someone else walk up to the scene.

"Can't have anybody dying. That's not part of the game."

Madison opened her eyes to see Eriol kneeling down beside Li and using his magic to heal him. She couldn't believe her luck. And in a matter of moments, Li sat up. His wound was completely healed.

"You have a great sense of timing," Yue said, echoing Madison's thoughts.

Keroberos flew down to the scene. "What do you mean 'not part of the game'?"

"I mean just what I said," Eriol answered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe it's time to end this little exhibition."

Madison didn't know what to make of this. Eriol's sudden appearance was a little too coincidental.

She was starting to smell a huge rat.

* * *

Sakura couldn't seem to land a single blow. She kept swinging her sword, but didn't even come close to connecting. Skeletor continued his dazzling array of evasive maneuvers until he caught Sakura by surprise with a leg sweep. Sakura fell on her back and the tip of Skeletor's double-edged sword was right at her neck.

"I believe it is all over," Skeletor said ominously.

"You got that right."

A light started to surround Skeletor. Before Skeletor could deliver any kind of killing blow, the villain started to shrink. Sakura sat up…and found herself looking down at a fallen action figure. And then she noticed she was at the feet of one Eriol Eli Moon.

"Are you ok?" Eriol asked.

Sakura blinked. "What…happened?"

"I believe my work is done," Eriol grinned. "Perhaps I should explain…"

* * *

Back in front of Madison's gate, Sakura and her friends stood angrily with their arms crossed (including Kero, who had reverted to his false form) as they stood in front of Eriol and his two guardians.

"I trust this has taught you all a valuable lesson," Eriol nagged. "I didn't want to have to do that, but I had to show you that crime-fighting is a dangerous idea and is NOT how you should be spending your nights." He smugly held up the Skeletor action figure. "You never know WHO you might run into."

"Did you have to have him KILL ME to prove your point?!" Li shouted.

"Nonetheless, my point was proven," Eriol countered. "Am I right, Sakura?"

Sakura didn't know what to think anymore. She had seen a lot tonight. She was nearly scared to death by the onslaught of ghosts that appeared out of the ground, she nearly lost Li, and she herself was almost killed at the hands of Skeletor. This was a huge eye-opener. There was nothing glorious about this line of work.

Sakura shook her head furiously. "I don't want to do this anymore! I think it's time for the Cherry Blossom to call it quits. And that goes for the rest of my team."

Kero snapped his fingers. "This was such a cool idea! I can't believe it has to end like this."

Eriol sighed. "Kero, there's something you've failed to realize. The life of a superhero is not always glamorous. How many times have you seen Spiderman always talking about hanging up his costume? How many times have you seen Batman regretting his own existence? How many times have you seen every other superhero beg to trade in their powers for a chance to be normal?"

Kero thought about that. "You know…you're right. Hey, how'd you know about all that?"

Eriol scoffed. "Just because I'm a sorcerer doesn't mean I don't enjoy the occasional comic book."

Sakura just waved her arm. "This has been a long night. Can we go home?"

"Yeah, we're tired," Madison yawned. "I'll kill you some other time."

"Me too," Li added.

Eriol nodded. "Yes, yes. Let's put all of this behind us."

Sakura bid her friends goodbye and gave Li a goodbye kiss before walking off. She was glad this was all over, but there was one thing still bothering her.

"Yue…if Kero or Madison ever try to get me into something like this again, promise you'll keep my head on straight."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Sakura, wait up!"

Sakura and her guardians stopped in their tracks as Madison caught up to them with her video camera in her hand.

"Since you're…retiring, can I…?"

Madison whispered the rest into Sakura's ear. Sakura sweatdropped.

"You've GOT to be kidding."

"Please, Sakura?"

Sakura sighed. "I can't say no to you, Madison."

Sakura and her guardians struck a pose as Madison taped them…while adding narration.

"And once again, the day is saved…thanks to the Cherry Blossom!"

  


**THE END**

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


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